Still Swinging
by Li'lDixonDarlin
Summary: Two women and a little girl are with the Atlanta survivor's group and the women manage to catch the attention of the Dixon brothers. What will happen? Summary sucks but the story is better, I promise! Merle/OC & Daryl/OC
1. Meeting the Dixons

**I know I already have a few stories goin but I got an idea for this one and I really wanted to write it :D I only own my OCs!**

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Two women were sitting on the tailgate of a hunter green 1999 extended cab Ford F250 with a little girl napping between them. The woman on the right has wavy, shoulder length brown hair with gray eyes and fair skin. She was wearing a dark blue Rolling Stones t-shirt with the sleeves cut off it, a pair of knee length black cargo shorts and a pair of hiking boots. The woman on the left has mid neck length curly strawberry blonde hair with reptilian green eyes and fair skin. She was wearing a AC/DC shirt, a pair of cargo pants and combat boots.

"I never woulda believed that people would get sick, die and come back as zombies if we hadn't seen it ourselves." the brunette said. The strawberry blonde snorted, nodding her head in agreement.

"I know what ya talkin bout, mon amie." the strawberry blonde said. The road they were on was crowded due to people escaping from their homes to try to get to Atlanta due to the dead coming back to life and attacking the living and eating them.

"Mom, I'm hungry!" a young boy whined. The strawberry blonde shifted her position in the back of the truck and peered over the roof of the truck to see a boy with dark brown hair looking up at a woman with the same dark hair.

"I know sweetie but we don't have any food..." the woman sighed. The kid sighed heavily so the strawberry blonde hopped out of the truck, catching the attention of her companion.

"Where ya goin?" the brunette asked. The strawberry blonde just opened the passenger door to the truck then started rooting through her things in the back of the truck. She reached in her duffel and pulled out a pack of original Jack Link's beef jerky then shut the truck back. She strolled over to the dark haired woman who now had her back turned then she reached out and tapped her shoulder then took a step back. The woman spun around, a startled look on her face then she relaxed.

"Yes?" the woman said. The strawberry blonde offered her the bag of jerky then wet her lips.

"I overheard your son say he's hungry. I figured that since I have a lotta this that I could give y'all a pack so y'all could eat somethin." the strawberry blonde murmured. Before the dark haired woman could say anything, her son spoke up.

"You mean that's for us?" the boy asked. The strawberry blonde turned her attention to the boy and nodded her head. The boy took the bag from her hands and smiled at her.

"Thank you ma'am!" the boy piped. He tore the top off the bag of jerky then handed it to a man with curly black hair before opening the bag and running over to a Jeep Cherokee and tapped a little girl's arm.

"Here Sophia! I figured you'd be hungry too." the boy said, offering the little girl a piece of jerky. The little girl smiled at the boy and accepted the piece of jerky so the strawberry blonde walked back over to the truck and hopped back in the bed of the truck, picking up her acoustic guitar.

"That was nice of ya." the brunette said. The strawberry blonde shrugged a bit with a half smile.

"Couldn't let the poor boy go hungry. Ain't no tellin when we'll get to some place safe with food and water ya know?" the strawberry blonde said softly. The brunette nodded her head in agreement then looked at her little girl beside her who was still napping.

"I know what ya mean." the brunette sighed, playing with her daughter's curly hair as she slept.

"Aye sugar tits! Why don't ya come show ole Merle a good time!" a raspy male voice called. The two women turned and looked to the left, seeing a man leaning on the side of a truck with another man standing off to his right.

"Jus who the hell do ya think yer talkin to?" the brunette called. The raspy voiced man chuckled slightly then spat to the side before lifting his gaze to them.

"Talkin to either one of y'all if yer up for it!" the man known as 'Merle' called, a lecherous grin on his face. Both women scoffed then raised their right hands and flipped him the bird. The brunette rolled her eyes then turned her attention to her little girl who started to rouse from her sleep.

"Hey there sleepy head." the brunette said, using her hands to sign as she talked. The littel girl yawned then rubbed her eyes.

"Hi mama." the little girl said, signing as she spoke. Even though the her little girl was partially deaf, the brunette was happy that she wasn't ashamed of her own voice to speak as well as putting her sign language to use.

"Wanna hop down and go introduce ourselves to everyone? That way we'll know who we're survivin with?" the strawberry blonde asked.

"Sure." the brunette said. The strawberry blonde jumped out of the truck and landed on her feet then turned around and held her arms out for the little girl. The little girl got to her feet then jumped out of the truck and the strawberry blonde caught her and spun around with her a bit, making the little girl giggle. The brunette jumped down from the bed of the truck and landed on her feet next to the strawberry blonde. The brunette brushed her hair from her face and smiled when she saw that her companion had placed her little girl onto her shoulders.

"You gonna be good for your aunt?" the brunette asked.

"Yes mama." the little girl answered. The brunette smiled then decided to get the worst over with and led her friend over to the two men who weren't parked too far from them.

"Decided to take me up on my offer darlin?" the raspy voiced man asked. The two women rolled their eyes and the little girl tilted her head to the side in confusion.

"Naw. Came to introduce ourselves. I'm Josie Boudreaux. The li'l girl is my li'l girl Serafina Boudreaux and this is my best friend and Sera's godmother, Evangeline LeBeau." Josette introduced.

"Well, I'm Merle Dixon and this sumbitch beside me is my li'l brother Daryl." Merle said, nodding his head towards the man beside him. Serafina tapped her hands on Evangeline's head, causing her to shift her head a bit to look up at her goddaughter.

"May I have a snack? I'm hungry." Serafina said. Merle watched the little girl and noticed that she was using her hands as she spoke.

"Why's she usin her hands as she's talkin?" Merle asked.

"She's partially deaf. She talks but she uses sign language too." Josette informed.

"Hm. What the hell's Josie short for anyway?" Merle asked.

"It's short for Josette." Josette drawled.

"The hell kinda name is that?" Merle asked.

"It's French. We're gonna go introduce ourselves to the others." Josette said. Merle grunted so the trio turned and walked away and unbeknownst to them, Daryl was watching Evangeline as she walked off with Josette.

"Watchin the quiet one huh li'l brother? Gonna get ya a nice piece of ass?" Merle chuckled. Daryl turned his attention back to his older brother, eyes narrowed in annoyance.

"Oh shut the hell up Merle." Daryl grumbled.


	2. Meeting More Survivors

**Here's chapter 2 of Still Swinging. In this chapter Josie, Evie and Sera meet more of the survivors. I don't own The Walking Dead. I only own my OCs.**

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***Evangeline's POV***

I followed along behind Josette with Serafina sitting on my shoulders and she would occasionally tap on the top of my head and I could hear her humming the tune of something but then she'd stop.

"Evie? Y'alright?" Josette asked, turning her attention to me. Gray eyes met green and we stared at one another for a brief moment before I nodded my head.

"Yeah, I'm okay." I murmured. Josette gave me a look to let me know she didn't really believe me but let the subject drop and we continued on our way to introduce ourselves to the others. We stopped at an RV where an older man and two blonde women were and once we stopped the trio looked up, halting their conversation.

"Can we help you?" the oldest blonde asked in a haughty tone. The younger blonde elbowed her and shot her a look.

"I'm sorry about my sister. I'm Amy and the older blonde is my sister Andrea." Amy said.

"It's alright. I'm Josie Boudreaux, the little girl is my daughter Serafina Boudreaux and the one carrying her is my friend Evangeline LeBeau." Josette introduced.

"Nice to meet you ladies. I'm Dale Horvath." Dale said. I waved at Dale and Josette smiled and I heard Serafina mumble a quiet hello and I knew she was being a little shy.

"Does she talk, at all?" Andrea asked, cutting her eyes at me.

"She does but not til she gets familiar with those 'round her." Josette explained. Andrea hummed in response then got up to stretch her legs. Amy frowned at her sister's retreating back then stood up and approached me slowly.

"Well, it's a pleasure to meet ya Evangeline." Amy said, smiling softly and holding her hand out for me to shake. I licked my dry lips then hesitantly grasped her hand in mine and returned the smile.

"Pleasure to meet you too Amy and if ya want, you can call me either Evie or Cal." I said.

"Cal?" Amy said, her nose wrinkled in confusion. I chuckled at her confusion then rubbed the back of my neck with one hand.

"My middle name's Calista." I chuckled.

"Well that makes sense!" Amy smiled. I nodded my head then swung Serafina down from my shoulders and onto my hip when she tapped her hands against my cheeks.

"She's cute. How old is she Josie?" Dale asked.

"Thank ya Dale and she's six years old." Josette answered with a smile.

"Mama? I'm hungry..." Serafina said, signing as she spoke. Amy tilted her head to the side in curiosity and Dale looked on in awe.

"I know baby..." Josette sighed.

"Is she...deaf?" Amy asked, her voice laced with curiosity.

"She's partially deaf. She was born that way but I don't love her any less." Josette said with a small smile. Serafina's stomach growled and she shifted around in my grip, a pout forming on her lips. I passed her to Josette who took her daughter, sending me a confused look.

"Anyone else here hungry?" I asked the small group.

"I am." Amy said.

"I could use something to eat." Dale said.

"Me too." Josette said. I nodded my head then pulled my truck keys from my pocket and headed back to my Ford. When I got to my truck, I felt like I was being watched but paid no mind to it and unlocked my truck. I sat down in the passenger's seat then reached back and grabbed one of my bags then unzipped it and pulled out a four bags of beef jerky. I zipped my bag back up then stowed it back behind the seat, slid out of my truck then shut the door back and locked my truck back up. I turned to see the Dixon brothers sitting and talking and I figured they must be hungry so I approached the duo. Once I was in range, I flung one of the bags of jerky towards them and it landed in Merle's lap, making the older man jump in surprise so I turned and headed back for my small group.

"The hell's this for?!" Merle called. I turned around and started walking backwards.

"The hell do ya think it's for? It's for ya to eat! Sure as hell ain't for ya to stare at!" I shouted. Merle shot me an amused smirk and I caught a ghost of a smile on Daryl's face then it vanished and he started to eat the jerky with his brother. I turned back around and approached the others at the RV and I noticed a young Asian-American man with the group now. I handed a pack over to Dale then handed one to Josette. Dale smiled in thanks then opened his jerky and shared it with Amy. Josette smiled at me then opened the jerky and handed a piece to Serafina who smiled in thanks and began eating it.

"Hi. I'm Glenn Rhee." Glenn smiled, introducing himself to me.

"Evangeline LeBeau." I said with a grin.

"Are you from Louisiana like Josie?" Glenn asked.

"Yeah, I'm from Louisiana like her but a different part of the boot state." I grinned. Glenn nodded his head in understanding so I ripped the top off my bag of jerky then opened it and held the bag towards him. Glenn reached into the bag and grabbed a piece so I pulled the bag back towards me and grabbed a piece and held it between myself and Glenn so he could get more jerky if he wanted it.

"You hear that?" Josette asked. I looked at her and nodded my head then glanced at the others, and by the looks on their faces I knew they heard it too. We looked up at the sky and our eyes grew wide when we saw planes and realized that the US Army were dropping bombs on the city that wasn't too far away.

"Oh my God." Amy gasped.

"Looks like the government gave up." Josette murmured. I nodded my head in agreement and we all stood, watching as parts of the city burned in the distance and red and yellow flames shot up into the night sky; since the sun had set and soon, the smell of sulphur reached our noses. Serafina coughed a bit and wrinkled her nose, not liking the smell one bit. We all gazed around at one another in shock and in awe; each one of us probably wondering why the government gave up so suddenly and so easily if the CDC claimed that they were working on a cure for whatever the hell was causing everyone to turn into zombies and attack the living.

"C'mon! We gotta move if we wanna survive! Everyone load up and follow me! I know some place safe where we can stay!" the black haired man barked. His orders snapped everyone out of their stupors and everyone started moving around in a hurry. Josette and I darted back to my truck, Serafina on her mama's back.

"Just who the hell does he think he is?" I asked once we reached my truck.

"No honest idea Evie. Let's just follow behind him and get to the 'safe place' he mentioned." Josette said, loading Serafina into the back seat after I unlocked my truck. I nodded my head in agreement then got into the driver's seat, cranked up my truck and buckled up then started following behind the others. I heard a car horn honk so I glanced up into the rear view mirror and chuckled slightly when I saw that the Dixon brothers were following behind us.

"Let's hope like hell this place is safer than the city and any other town that's probably overrun with those walker things." I said.

"I agree with ya on that one Evie...I really do." Josette said, turning her head a bit to check on Serafina only to see that she was sound asleep.

"It's been a long day." I sighed, catching sight of my sleeping goddaughter in my rear view.

"Damn right." Josette sighed.


	3. Misunderstanding

**Here's chapter 3 of Still Swinging!**

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***No One's POV***

It had been a month since Shane had led everyone to the quarry and they had fallen into a rhythm of sorts. The women did the laundry, Daryl and Merle went hunting and the others; save for Ed Peletier, would take turns keeping watch and the kids would play and do a little bit of school work from time to time so they could still learn. Evangeline and Josette had gotten introduced to everyone the same night and found that some were more tolerable than others. Serafina found friends in Carl Grimes, Sophia Peletier, Louis Morales and Eliza Morales and she was very happy to have some kids to play with again.

"Mama! Wake up mama!" Serafina said, shaking her mother. Josette groaned then shifted around in her sleeping bag then pushed herself up onto her right elbow and she looked over her shoulder at her daughter.

"What is it Sera?" Josette groaned.

"Mrs. Carol wanted me to wake you and aunt Evie and let you know that breakfast is almost ready." Serafina said. Josette yawned and nodded her head, reaching a hand up and ruffling her wavy hair which was already mussed with sleep.

"Okay baby...I'm gettin up. Wake your aunt Evie for me please." Josette said. Serafina nodded her head then crawled around her mother to the sleeping bag where her godmother was sleeping.

***Serafina's POV***

I nudged my aunt Evie's back, trying to rouse her from her sleep like Mama asked me to. I got a grunt in response and she shifted down into her sleeping bag. I frowned then shook her to try to wake her up.

"Wake up!" I said. She grumbled under her breath but didn't wake. I pouted a bit then glanced around our tent to try to find something to help me wake her up. I got up then walked around the sleeping bag then plopped down in front of aunt Evie and noticed that she had her sleeping bag shifted to cover the lower half of her face. I leaned forward, keeping a watch out for her hand then quickly licked my aunt Evie's forehead then scrambled backwards when she jolted into a sitting position and looked around. I giggled at her reaction then her gaze settled on me.

"You little sneak..." Aunt Evie groused playfully. I giggled then crawled forward and hugged my aunt.

"Morning aunt Evie. Mrs. Carol wanted me to wake you and mama cause breakfast is almost ready." I said, using my hands to sign the words as I spoke.

"Okay Ser Bear. I'm awake." Aunt Evie said, yawning. I nodded my head then got up and headed for the tent opening.

"Sera, baby?" Mama said. I turned around and looked her right in the eye.

"Yes mama?" I asked. She motioned for me to come over so I walked over to her and stopped in front of her. Mama smiled then wrapped her arms around me and hugged me close.

"I love you baby girl." Mama said. I smiled then threw my arms around her and happily returned the hug.

"I love you too mama." I said. Mama pulled back from the hug then kissed my forehead then she turned me around and nudged me towards the tent opening.

"Go tell Mrs. Carol that your aunt and I are getting dressed and once we're dressed, we'll be out to join everyone for breakfast." Mama said.

"Okay mama!" I said. I unzipped the tent then scurried out of it and I heard it zip back, letting me know that either my mama or aunt Evie zipped it back. I skipped over to the circle of the other survivors then approached Mrs. Carol. I lightly tugged on her shirt, causing her to turn around quickly but she smiled softly once she saw me.

"Yes sweetheart?" Mrs. Carol said.

"My mama and aunt Evie wanted me to let you know that they're up and getting ready and once they're dressed, they'll join everyone for breakfast." I said.

"Okay sweetheart. Lori and I are still cooking so you can go play with Sophia, Carl, Eliza and Louis until we call you to eat, okay?" Mrs. Carol said. I nodded my head then skipped off towards Sophia when I spotted her.

"Sophia!" I called. Sophia turned around and smiled widely when she saw me.

"Hi Serafina! Ready to play?" Sophia asked. I nodded my head and she showed me the frisbee that my aunt Evie had given us to play with out of one of her bags.

"I'm ready when you are Sophia!" I called. Sophia nodded her head then tossed the frisbee. I laughed, running back a bit then jumped up and caught it. I tossed it back to Sophia and she caught it. We tossed it back and forth for a while but when Sophia threw it again, it went way over my head. I watched it sail then it landed behind the Dixon brothers who didn't seem to notice it.

"Let's just leave it Sera!" Sophia said. I looked at her, shook my head then started to slowly walk over to them.

***Merle's POV***

I was sitting and talking with Daryl when out the corner of my eye, I noticed movement. I turned my head a bit and saw the Cajun's little girl approaching. She stopped in front of Daryl and myself and glanced around our camp area.

"Whatcha want li'l girl?" I asked gruffly. The little girl looked at me a minute then pointed somewhere behind me. I frowned, wondering what the hell she wanted that was behind us. Daryl glanced over and must have noticed something because he got up and headed in the direction she pointed. While Daryl was off searching for whatever it was the kid wanted, she did nothing but stare at me.

"Whatcha need?" I asked, trying to get her to quit staring. She didn't say a word, she just tilted her head to the side and openly stared. I clenched my jaw, wondering if the Cajun taught her any manners at all.

"Ya deaf or somethin kid!? I asked ya a question!" I growled lowly so no one else in the camp could hear. She jumped at my tone of voice then her lower lip quivered and I felt my stomach sink. She turned around and ran back towards where her mother probably was and I groaned, knowing the shit would probably hit the fan.

"Merle?" Daryl said. I rolled my eyes then dragged a hand down my face.

"What li'l D?" I asked. He sat down beside me and held up a bright blue frisbee for me to see.

"This is all she wanted Merle..." Daryl said. I sighed, running a hand over my hair then took the frisbee from Daryl.

"Shit is gonna hit the fan..." I muttered.

*Evangeline's POV*

I was helping Josette gather our dirty clothes so they could be washed when I saw Serafina running towards us. I nudged Josette so she looked up and frowned when she saw what was wrong.

"What's wrong baby?" Josette asked, dropping to her knees and opening her arms. Serafina ran into her mama's open arms and cried a bit, signing instead of speaking. I watched her hands as she signed then my eyes flickered towards the Dixon brothers, more specifically Merle. Josette started to get up to head towards them but I shook my head at her.

"I'll go." I murmured. Josette nodded her head then stood up straight then scooped up Serafina and rubbed her back. I put the basket down then started walking towards the Dixon brothers's camp area. When I was close enough to them, I stopped and placed my hands on my hips then cleared my throat, making the brothers look up.

"Whaddya need Gambit?" Merle asked.

"The hell did you do to my goddaughter?" I asked.

"What the hell do ya mean?" Merle asked. I growled under my breath and narrowed my eyes at the eldest Dixon.

"My goddaughter, Serafina came runnin from your camp area cryin. The fuck did ya do to her?" I ground out. Merle started grumbling under his breath then ran a hand over his short, curly hair.

"Just tell 'er Merle." Daryl grumbled. Merle shot his little brother a dirty look then swore under his breath before looking at me.

"She came over here lookin for somethin but didn't say what. She just pointed behind us. Daryl went to go see what the hell she was pointin at and she was just starin at me. I asked her what she wanted but she didn't answer. I repeated the question and asked her if she was deaf or somethin." Merle admitted. I growled in annoyance then ran a hand through my hair and gave Merle an incredulous look.

"Vous foutu imbécile!" I ranted in French.

"The hell did you just call me?" Merle growled. I rolled my eyes, ignoring his question.

"Haven't you noticed that sometimes when she talks, she uses her hands?" I said.

"A lot of people talk with their hands! I didn't think nothin of it." Merle said.

"She's partially deaf so from time to time, she'll sign as she talks!" I said.

"Shit." Merle swore. Daryl shook his head then tossed me the frisbee that I had given the kids to play with.

"She was lookin for that." Daryl said.

"I'll take it back to her and bring her over and let her know ya didn't know of her condition." I said.

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**Well, that was chapter three! Will Serafina forgive Merle? Will the six year old break through the eldest Dixon's rough exterior? Stay tuned!**

**Translation for what Evangeline called Merle:**

Vous foutu imbécile - you damn idiot!


	4. Apologizing & Wandering Thoughts

**Here's chapter 4 of Still Swinging!**

**Again, I don't own AMC's The Walking Dead but I do own my OCs in this fic! I don't own the song, Serenity, that Evangeline sings in this chapter. **

**Serenity (c) Godsmack**

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***Serafina's POV***

I sat on the tailgate of aunt Evie's truck and hummed watching as mama sifted through her bag, looking for something. I heard a bird call so I glanced up and saw aunt Evie approaching so I grinned a bit and waved. Aunt Evie waved back then stopped in front of me and crossed her arms over her chest.

"Sweetie, you still upset over what happened over there?" aunt Evie asked, jerking her head towards the Dixon camp area. I chewed my bottom lip then shook my head, my hair bouncing with the action.

"No ma'am." I said.

"He didn't mean to startle ya. He was just uncomfy cuz you were starin at him and he doesn't know that you assess people like your mama does." aunt Evie said.

"Oh...I'll go apologize to him." I said, hopping down and laughing when aunt Evie caught me and spun me around a bit.

"I'll take ya over there darlin." aunt Evie smiled, setting me back on my feet. I nodded my head in agreement then slipped my hand into hers and smiled up at her. Aunt Evie returned my smile so we headed towards the Dixon camp area. Once we were there, aunt Evie stopped walking and whistled to get their attention. They both looked up and I shifted closer to her, grasping the back of her shirt out of habit.

"Yeah?" the oldest Dixon asked, his voice raspy.

"Sorry I stared at you mister. It's not nice to stare." I said, kicking at the dirt.

"It's okay. I forgot yer mama said you're partially deaf." the oldest Dixon said.

"I also sometimes stare at people to try to figure them out like my mama does." I said, rocking back and forth on my heels.

"It's alright." the oldest Dixon said. I nodded my head then looked up at my godmother. She met my gaze then nodded slightly, giving me a light nudge forward. I slowly walked forward, making the Dixon brothers look at me curiously. I held my right hand out and looked at both brothers.

"I'm Serafina." I said. The brothers looked at one another then smiled a bit at me so the oldest brother lightly grasped my hand and shook it.

"Nice to meet ya sugar. I'm Merle Dixon." Merle said. I grinned then turned my attention to his brother and watched him expectantly, my hand at my side.

"I'm Daryl." Daryl mumbled. I wrinkled my nose in confusion then tilted my head a bit, wondering why he was mumbling.

"You okay mister?" I asked. Daryl didn't say anything, he just tossed me my frisbee and went back to cleaning his crossbow. I picked up the frisbee then held it in my hands, toying around with it.

"Thank you sir." I said. Daryl looked at me, a bit surprised but the look disappeared then he turned his attention back to his crossbow.

"C'mon doll. Let's leave 'em alone and you can go back to playin with the others." aunt Evie said. I looked up at her and nodded my head then took her hand in mine and let her lead me away from the brothers.

"Sophia! Look what I have!" I called, waving the frisbee in the air. Sophia grinned widely then waved me over, ready to continue our game of catch.

***Evangeline's POV***

I let go of Serafina's hand so she took off for her friends and I smiled as I watched them toss the frisbee around.

"Evie!" Josette called. I turned around and walked over to my best friend then hopped up on the tailgate of my truck beside her.

"Yeah Josie?" I asked.

"She apologize?" Josette asked, glancing up. I nodded my head then laid back in my truck and stared up at the blue sky.

"Yeah, she apologized. He must've asked her if she was deaf or somethin cuz he said he had forgotten you mentioned the fact that she's partially deaf." I said, placing my arms under my head.

"Yeah, well...if he wouldn't have done what he did when I was pregnant with Sera then maybe..." Josette trailed off with a sigh.

"Hey, that's not your fault Josie. That's on his sorry ass, not on you. You did nothin wrong 'cept trust him." I said softly.

"Yeah, but..." Josette started.

"Nuh uh! None of that Josette Angeline! You know it's not your fault that he turned out to be a Class-A dickwad. Not yours at all. You did nothin to him 'cept be sweet, kind and courteous. I'd gladly beat him senseless again if he was around here." I said.

"Thanks Evie...I don't know what I'd do without you." Josette smiled.

"Hm...go crazy, knock the shit out of any man who did you wrong if not shoot them, wonder what to do with your life, and do anything in your power to make not only you but Sera happy as can be." I said. Josette rolled her gray eyes with a smile then playfully punched my arm.

"Smartass." Josette grinned. I lifted my head up and gave her a cheeky grin.

"Yeah but I'd rather be a smartass than a dumbass, Josie!" I laughed. Josette laughed along with me and I knew I had gotten her out of the dark and depressing hole that she was trying to stick herself in.

***Daryl's POV***

After Evangeline and the little girl, Serafina left I went back to cleaning my crossbow but my mind kept wandering back to Evangeline. I stopped cleaning my crossbow and shook my head out of frustration.

_'You're a fuckin Dixon and Dixon men don't get hung up on women.'_ I thought. I shook the thoughts out of my head and frowned when Merle elbowed my arm.

"What Merle?" I asked.

"The hell's yer problem boy? Never seen ya look so livid when ya clean yer crossbow and you're cleanin the damn thing aggressively." Merle commented.

"Don't bother with it Merle. Ain't nothin wrong 'cept I'm agitated that they came over here." I muttered. Merle rolled his eyes at me then cuffed me around my head. I rubbed the back of my head and shot him a dirty look.

"Don't give me that damn dirty look Darylina. Don't think I didn't notice you eyeballin Gambit when she was over here with the li'l girl." Merle drawled. I scowled at my brother but didn't say anything; I knew better than to open my mouth and argue because I would just get popped upside the head yet again. I put my crossbow down then picked up my bolts and decided to clean them but stopped short when I heard the kids laugh. I glanced up, my head tilted down slightly and saw the kids sitting on the ground in front of Evangeline since she was sitting on the tailgate of her truck.

"Will you sing for us miss Evie?" Sophia asked.

"What makes ya think I can sing, sugar?" Evangeline asked with a teasing smile.

"Sera tells us you used to sing to her all the time!" Carl piped. Evangeline shot Serafina a playful glare then chuckled slightly.

"Alright, alright." Evangeline relented.

"You mean you'll sing for us?" Eliza asked. Evangeline nodded her head in confirmation and the kids cheered. I rolled my eyes at the scene then went back to cleaning my crossbow bolts.

***Josette's POV***

I smiled to myself as the kids gathered closer so I pushed myself into a sitting position and leaned on the inside edge of the truck. Evangeline coughed a bit to ready her vocal cords then wet her lips before singing.

**"As I sit here**

**And slowly close my eyes**

**I take another deep breath**

**And feel the wind pass through my body**

**I'm the one in your soul**

**Reflecting in the light**

**Protect the ones who hold you**

**Cradling your inner child**

**I need serenity**

**In a place where I can hide**

**I need serenity**

**Nothing changes, days go by**

**Where do we go when we just don't know**

**And how do we relight the flame when it's cold?**

**Why do we dream when our thoughts mean nothing?**

**And when do we learn to control?**

**Tragic visions**  
**Slowly stole my life**  
**Tore away everything**  
**Cheating me out of my time**

**I'm the one who loves you**  
**No matter wrong or rightAnd every day I hold you**  
**I hold you with my inner child**

**I need serenity**  
**In a place where I can hide**  
**I need serenity**  
**Nothing changes, days go by**

**Where do we go when we just don't know**  
**And how do we relight the flame when it's cold?**  
**Why do we dream when our thoughts mean nothing**  
**And when will we learn to control?"**

"Evangeline finished singing Godsmack's _Serenity_ and the kids cheered then the clapping got louder so I looked around to see that everyone; minus Ed, had stopped what they were doing to listen to Evangeline sing.

"Wow! You have a really nice voice miss Evie!" Sophia praised.

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**That's the end of chapter 4! Stay tuned for more :D**


	5. A Good Day

**Here's the next chapter of ****_Still Swinging. _****Again, I only own my OCs!**

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***Evangeline's POV***

"Aww! Well thank you darlin!" I said with a smile. Sophia returned my smile then shifted a bit on the ground.

"Will you sing again?" Carl questioned. I nodded with a smile and the children cheered in joy, making me chuckle a bit. I thought for a moment, pondering what I could sing then I smiled a bit when a song came to mind.

**"I'm not the one who's so far away **  
**When I feel the snake bite enter my veins **  
**Never did I wanna be here again **  
**And I don't remember why I came..."**

***Serafina's POV***

I grinned and did a little dance when I recognized the song that my aunt Evie started to sing.

**"Candles raise my desire **  
**Why I'm so far away **  
**No more meaning to my life **  
**No more reason to stay **

**Freezing, feeling...**  
**Breath in, breath in… **  
**I'm coming back again… **

**I'm not the one who's so far away **  
**When I feel the snake bite enter my veins **  
**Never did I wanna be here again **  
**And I don't remember why I came **

**Hazing clouds rain on my head **  
**Empty thoughts fill my ears **  
**Find my shade by the moon light **  
**Why my thoughts aren't so clear **

**Demons dreaming...**  
**Breath in, breath in…**  
**I'm coming back again… **

**I'm not the one who's so far away **  
**When I feel the snake bite enter my veins **  
**Never did I wanna be here again **  
**And I don't remember why I came **  
**I'm not the one who's so far away **  
**When I feel the snake bite enter my veins **  
**Never did I wanna be here again **  
**And I don't remember why I came **

**I'm not the one who's so far away **  
**When I feel the snake bite enter my veins **  
**Never did I wanna be here again **  
**And I don't remember why I came **

**I'm not the one who's so far away **  
**When I feel the snake bite enter my veins **  
**Never did I wanna be here again **  
**And I don't remember why I came **

**Voodoo, voodoo, voodoo, voodoo **  
**Voodoo, voodoo, voodoo, voodoo **

**So far away…**  
**I'm not the one who's so far away…**  
**I'm not the one who's so far away…**  
**I'm not the one who's so far away..."**

We clapped when aunt Evie finished the final note of the song and she smiled a bit and glanced up when she heard more clapping than ours. I looked up and smiled brightly when I saw that a lot of the others were standing by and had been listening as aunt Evie sang.

"You have a wonderful voice." Mrs. Carol said.

"Thanks Carol." aunt Evie said with a smile.

"Okay guys, I hate to break up this little...jam session but Glenn is heading into the city for some things and if any of you want somethin then I need a list of what you want." Shane called. I giggled a bit when Aunt Evie rolled her eyes at his bossiness and she sent me a wink. Mama got a notebook out of one of her bags and wrote some things down then passed it on to Aunt Evie and I watched as she jotted some things down then she pulled the page from the notebook and hopped down from the tailgate and walked over to Glenn to give it to him.

***Hour later; Evangeline's POV***

An hour after Glenn had gotten the lists from everyone, he was back with the supplies so Josette and I walked over to him to help him sort the stuff out and get it to who wanted it. After we had everything sorted out, the three of us went around the camp and delivered the goods to the ones they went to.

"Thanks for the help." Glenn said once we finished giving everything out.

"Not a problem Glenn. This was more than a one person job and it's not like we had anything to do." Josette smiled. Glenn returned her smile then walked off to talk to T-Dog.

"C'mon, let's go get these coloring books and Crayolas to Sera so she'll have somethin to do after her studies are done and if she doesn't wanna play with Sophia and the others." I said. Josette and I walked back to my truck and smiled when we saw Sophia painting Serafina's fingernails with my electric blue nail polish.

"Hey girls! What are y'all up to?" Josette asked.

"Manicures!" Serafina smiled. I chuckled slightly then showed her the crayons and coloring books.

"Look at what your mama asked Glenn to bring back for ya baby girl." I said. Serafina squealed in excitement and did her best not to wiggle as Sophia worked on painting the nails of her left hand. I laid the colors and coloring books beside Serafina in the bed of my truck then followed behind Josette to go help with the laundry.

* * *

**Sorry if this chapter was a little bland.**


	6. Tensions Rise

**Here's the next chapter of Still Swinging! Sorry for takin so long folks! **

**I don't own the Walking Dead. I only own my OCs!**

* * *

***The next day***

"Oh no, we're out of food!" Miranda groaned. Evangeline and Josette glanced at the woman then heard the murmurs of the others.

"Alright...we need to go on a run, but we're gonna need more than Glenn. Who all would like to volunteer to go into Atlanta?" Shane asked.

"I'll go." Josette offered.

"Hell, I'll go." Merle drawled. Daryl's attention snapped to his older brother and his eyes narrowed in agitation. Evangeline wet her lips then walked over to her best friend, lightly tugging the sleeve of her shirt and jerking her head to the left. Josette followed Evangeline away from the small group that had formed then stopped when Evangeline did.

"You sure that's smart Josie?" Evangeline murmured. Josette rolled her eyes at the question and scoffed in response.

"I know what the hell I'm doin Evangeline. I don't need you on my damn back about it like I'm some stupid teenager or a kid." Josette snapped. Evangeline's eyes narrowed in anger and her top lip curled back in a snarl.

"Ya know what? Fuck it. Sorry for fuckin carin 'bout your fuckin safety. Fuck you." Evangeline snarled. She turned on her heel and stormed off, heading towards the woods to walk down to the lake.

***Josette's POV***

I watched Evangeline storm off and I could hear her swearing under her breath in French and I knew several of those curses were aimed at me. I ran a hand through my hair and let out a breath, knowing I'd pissed her off and I knew that I couldn't make things right because I overheard Shane talking about the group being decided and telling everyone to hurry up and gather weapons to head out to Atlanta. I rolled my shoulders then jogged over to Evangeline's truck to get my knife out from under the passenger's seat and my pistol with a silencer out of the truck's console. After I got my weapons, I shut her truck back and looked around for Serafina. I see her sitting and talking to Sophia and Eliza so I walk over to talk to her.

"Fina!" I called. Serafina glanced up from chatting then grinned broadly when she saw me then hopped up from her seat and skipped over to me.

"Yes mama?" Serafina said. I crouched down so I was eye level with her then let out a slow breath.

"Baby girl, mama is headin out with the group to go into the city to gather more supplies. I want you to listen to Carol, Lori and Amy, okay?" I said. Serafina frowned a bit then looked around for Evangeline.

"But what about aunt Evie?" Serafina asked. I sighed, knowing she'd ask that question but had no idea how to tell her.

"Your aunt Evie and I had an argument." I said. Serafina frowned at me then crossed her arms over her chest.

"Mama loves you baby girl. I'll be back soon." I said when she didn't reply.

"Who's goin with ya?" Serafina asked, quick to sign. I motioned towards the small group, moving around then noticed that her eyes locked on Merle so she moved away from me and headed towards him.

***Merle's POV***

I was ready to head out, pacing around near the vehicle waiting for the others and a bit irked at the argument that I had with Daryl. He was pissed off that I was going with the group to Atlanta but he didn't really get that I was going to keep an eye on Josette. I wouldn't say it out loud to anyone but I was starting to get feelings for the woman.

"Hey mister!" a small voice said. I glanced down slightly and smiled a bit when I saw Josette's little girl, Serafina walking up.

"Whatcha need li'l fawn?" I asked.

"Are you goin with my mama into the city?" Serafina asked. My eyebrows shot up in surprise at the question and I took notice of the fact that she had signed the question quickly.

"Yeah, I am sweetheart." I said. She nodded briefly then crooked her finger for me to come down to her level. I chuckled a bit then knelt down in front of her so that we could lock eyes.

"You promise to watch out for my mama?" Serafina asked. I looked at her then looked back at Josette who looked surprised at her daughter's question.

"Yeah, I promise to watch out for 'er." I drawled. She nodded her head then placed her right index finger to her lips then closed her left hand in a fist, lifted it a bit then placed the palm of her right hand onto it. I looked at her, confused at the gesture so I looked at Josette for clarification.

"That's ASL for promise." Josette said. I nodded my head then looked back at Serafina and slowly mimicked the gesture, making the little girl grin.

"I promise." I said. I grinned in return and was shocked when she threw her arms around my neck in a hug. I froze for a bit then awkwardly placed an arm around her in a one armed hug. Seemingly satisfied with the gesture, Serafina broke the hug then took off to go back to her friends.

"Protective li'l girl ya got there sugar tits." I said, standing upright. I glanced at her and she just smiled in response before motioning for me to follow her.

"Let's go." Josette said.

***Evangeline's POV***

I sat at the water's edge with my boots sitting beside me and stared at the lake, still fuming over the argument I had with Josette. I heaved out a sigh then raked a hand through my hair. I leaned my head back a bit and stared up at the clear blue sky then shifted and leaned back onto my elbows so I could stare up at the sky.

_"Why the fuck did she bitch when I asked a simple question? She woulda done the same to me had I volunteered to go. Hell, she woulda cussed up a storm and told me I was a crazy ass for goin and I'd get my Cajun ass killed for doin somethin that stupid." _I thought. I shook myself from my thoughts then pushed myself to my feet and decided to walk along the rocks to clear my mind. I dusted the back of my jeans off then started to slowly walk along the rocks, feeling my feet slide around as I walked and I knew that the rocks were wet so I knew that I'd have to be careful or I'd go careening into the water.

"Evangeline!" a voice called. I rolled my eyes then turned my head to look over my shoulder and saw Shane headed my way. I swore under my breath then started slowly turning around so I could face him, wobbling a bit as I shifted on the slippery rocks.

"What do ya want, Walsh?" I asked. I knew I probably came off as rude, but I didn't really like him and he was constantly eyeballing me like he wanted in my pants or didn't trust me; like I was gonna kill everyone in their sleep or something.

"What are you doin out here?" Shane asked.

"Clearin my head. Why the hell else would I be out here? I don't feel like swimmin right now and I sure as hell ain't gonna drown myself." I said, crossing my arms over my chest. Shane chuckled and I noticed his eyes shift up then down slowly and my jaw locked, knowing that he was checking me out and that pissed me off.

"Why don't you come down from there and come back to the campsite? The group for Atlanta is gone already so you won't have to deal with Josette." Shane said.

"Come any closer and I'll knock the shit outta ya." I snarled.


	7. Cajuns Do Crazy Things

**Here ya go **CeruleanKitten** and anyone else, who was wondering what the argument in the last chapter was about. I hope this clears it up :D This chapter is completely a flashback so only my OCs are in it. Enjoy!**

**Anything that is bolded as well as italicized then Evangeline or Josette or Serafina are talking and signing since Serafina is half deaf and they sometimes sign when they speak to make things easier for Sera or if Sera signs as well as speaks out of habit. **

* * *

***Flashback***

_Evangeline yelped in surprise, picking up a baseball bat from a shelf and slammed it into the head of a man wearing an __**Armani**__ suit who tried to take a bite out of her. She had been shopping in town when she overheard on one of the televisions that some kind of supposed illness was going around and people were dying but they weren't staying dead. She hadn't believed it at first but then she saw people shuffling around with hunks of skin missing, their skin off color and their eyes a hazy yellowish green. _

_"I've gotta get the hell outta here and back to Josie and Sera." Evangeline said to herself. The store she was in was empty, people having ran out hours ago in a panic which she had paid no heed to at first so she just took the shopping cart she was pushing and ran out of the store and towards her extended cab truck. She quickly loaded the groceries into the bed of her truck then unlocked it and got in, speeding off towards the house she was sharing with her best friend since childhood and her goddaughter. Evangeline flipped through the radio stations, trying to find a station that played music but all that was on was updates about the sickness._

_"Sickness my ass. No kind of sickness that I've ever heard of does somethin like what I saw." Evangeline mused to herself. Getting tired of hearing about the 'sickness' that was going around Evangeline reached into the console of her truck, pulled out a mix CD and popped it into her truck's CD player. The first song to come on was Hinder's __**Lips of an Angel**__ so she sang along as she drove. When she finally reached the shared home she quickly rushed inside, leaving the groceries in her truck since she didn't have anything that needed to be kept refrigerated._

_"Josie! Sera!" Evangeline called as soon as she ran into the house. She kicked the door shut then hastily locked it then darted into the living room where Josette and Serafina were standing near the couch after hearing her shouts._

_"What's wrong Evie?" Josette asked._

_"We gotta get the hell outta here! That sickness thing they say is goin around? It's no sickness I've ever heard of or saw with my own eyes. They're dyin and comin back and tryna eat people. What the hell kinda sickness is that?" Evangeline said. Josette blanched at her friend's comment then looked down at her six year old daughter who was highly confused._

_"__**Mama? What's goin on?**__" Serafina asked, signing as she spoke._

_"__**Well sweetheart, there's no easy way to say this but a zombie apocalypse has hit and we need to get outta here." **__Josette said. Serafina nodded her head slowly then glanced up at her godmother._

_"__**What do I need to pack?**__" Serafina questioned._

_"__**Pack things like clothes, food and a couple of things to keep you occupied as well as a few things you can't live without.**__" Evangeline said. Serafina nodded her head then ran for her bedroom. Josette followed behind her daughter so Evangeline went to the kitchen to pull out cans of food and food she knew would last for a while and wouldn't need refrigerated. She walked to the pantry and laughed when she spied five boxes of Twinkies, knowing that they would last for a long while. After a while of sorting through the food, Evangeline shoved them into a military style duffel bag then ran up to her room to pack her clothes. After shoving clothes and a couple extra pairs of shoes into a large military style bag, Evangeline slung the bag over her shoulder and ran down the stairs to where Josette and Serafina were probably waiting._

_"Is that everything we need?" Josette questioned once Evangeline was in sight. Evangeline shook her head, placing the bag down on the floor._

_"No. We need weapons. Gotta get 'em in the head. It's the only way to take 'em out." Evangeline said. Josette nodded her head so the trio walked around the house, grabbing weapons of any sort to take with them and placing them in their bags._

_"Alright...are we ready?" Josette questioned. Evangeline nodded her head then grabbed her bags, slinging them over her shoulders then picked up the ax from the floor._

_"Yeah, let's go but first lemme look and make sure none of them dead ass bastards are out there alright?" Evangeline said. Josette and Serafina both nodded so Evangeline quietly walked to the front hallway then peered out the window to survey the area. She didn't see any nearby so she treaded back to the living room quietly then motioned for the two to follow her._

_"C'mon." Evangeline said. Josette and Serafina nodded then quietly followed behind Evangeline to the front hallway. Evangeline slowly opened the front door and muttered a quiet 'shh' so they could get out quickly and quietly. Once Evangeline made sure the coast was clear once again, they silently slid out of the house and into the front yard. Josette quickly locked the door; although Evangeline didn't understand the reason why. It wasn't like they were going to be able to come back with the walking dead wandering around._

_"Go to my truck, put your bags in the bed then climb in. I'll keep an eye out then follow." Evangeline said lowly. Josette looked at her like she was nuts but didn't comment; she motioned for Serafina to follow her and the mother and daughter quickly ran towards the large hunter green truck and Josette tossed the bags in the bed of the truck then opened the passenger side door then the smaller door and helped Serafina in the truck then shut the door and got in herself, pulling her door shut and buckling up. Evangeline surveyed the area then she spotted one of the walking dead shambling towards her truck from behind, neither Josette nor Serafina taking notice. Evangeline threw her bags into the bed of her truck, walked around the side then swung the ax, slamming the blade into the zombie's head. The zombie slumped to the ground so Evangeline yanked the ax from its head then glanced around to make sure no more were close by. After making sure the coast was clear, she placed the ax in the bed of the truck, making sure she'd be able to get to it if they stopped somewhere then quickly got into the truck._

_"So what now?" Josette questioned after they'd been driving around for a while. Evangeline heaved out a sigh, tapping her fingers against the steering wheel then reached out and turned up the volume of her stereo so they could hear the music better._

_"I dunno...I guess head to the city." Evangeline said. Josette sighed then turned in her seat to glance at her daughter, who was curled up across the back seat sleeping. Josette sighed again then turned back around, leaning her head back against the seat._

_"This isn't the kinda thing Fina should see..." Josette said._

_"Naw, it ain't but we can't help it. The world decided it was time ta go ta shit today. No one can stop it." Evangeline said. Josette mulled over her friends words before nodding in agreement._

_"Yeah, you're right." Josette said. The ride was silent for another hour and a half then Evangeline glanced at the gas gauge._

_"Need to stop to gas up my truck." Evangeline muttered. She pulled into the nearest gas station then glanced around through her windshield to make sure none of the dead were walking around._

_"Be careful!" Josette whispered. Evangeline grunted in response then killed the engine then turned around in her seat._

_"I'mma gas my truck up. If it gets to be too much out there or I get surrounded, you hop your ass in this seat and get the hell outta dodge ya hear me?" Evangeline said. Josette's jaw dropped, she couldn't believe the words coming out of her best friend's mouth._

_"What the hell do ya mean?! There's no way in hell I'm gonna leave you here to get eaten alive!" Josette said. Evangeline narrowed her eyes then jerked her head to the right, indicating a sleeping Serafina._

_"Ya can and ya will. You have a li'l girl to worry 'bout and take care of. If push comes to shove you're gonna carry yer ass without me." Evangeline said. Before Josette could argue more on the matter, Evangeline was out of her truck and the door was shut. Once out in the open, Evangeline slid the ax out of the bed of her truck then turned to the gas pump. She dug her credit card out of her wallet and snorted due to it being the last time she'd be able to use it for a good reason. She quickly slid her card and went through the process needed then started pumping fuel into her truck. Her eyes darted around as she fueled up her truck, keeping an eye out for the walking dead. Once her truck was fueled properly, she put the hose back in its rightful place and glanced up in time to see one of the walking dead shambling towards her with its arms outstretched._

_"Whoa, shit!" Evangeline exclaimed. She grasped the handle of the ax then swung it and grimaced when she heard it connect with the skull and made a squelching noise when it drove into the brain. It crumpled to the ground so she placed a boot clad foot on its chest then grasped the handle and yanked the ax out of its head. She looked up and swallowed when she saw more shambling towards her and the truck. She tightened her grip on the handle of the ax then rushed forward and started swinging the ax at the walkers, not only to kill them but also to slow them down so they couldn't get to her or the truck. Once she was satisfied with her work, Evangeline rushed back to her truck, threw the ax in the back then got in, started it up and took off._

_"You didn't listen to me! I told ya if things looked bad or if I didn't come back right away ta haul ass!" Evangeline snapped._

_"You're fuckin crazy, ya know that right!?" Josette spat._

_"Of fuckin course I'm crazy! I'm a damn Cajun!" Evangeline snapped back._

_"Hell, I'm from Louisiana too but I ain't that crazy! Your crazy Cajun ways, attitude, or whatever the hell ya wanna call it is gonna get you killed one day!" Josette snarled. Evangeline narrowed her eyes at her best friend then turned her attention back to the road and tightened her grip on the steering wheel, her eyes fixed on the road ahead._


End file.
